City's directors not being evaluated

According to information obtained from the city of Sarasota human resources department, five of the six city’s directors who report directly to the city manager and take home six-figure salaries have not received an annual evaluation since 2007, the year that former City Manager Bob Bartolotta was hired.

The directors join 61 other city employees who are listed as past due for performance evaluations.
The city directors are at-will employees who can be fired at any time by the city manager and receive three months of their salary, according to city Human Resources Director Kurt Hoverter.

Hoverter and other human resources directors said it’s up to the city manager or county administrator to perform evaluations for directors.

Hoverter said he had reminded Bartolotta each year when his directors were due for evaluations.
“It was his choice whether to do them or not,” Hoverter said. “He chose not to submit written evaluations for his directors to our office.”

Bartolotta could not be reached for comment for this story.

Hoverter noted that performance evaluations are not part of a merit-based pay system.

“We haven’t had any raises city-wide since 2008, except for some STEP increases where warranted,” Hoverter said.

When asked if he would prefer all city employees have annual evaluations on file, Hoverter said he would.

“We would like reports completed,” Hoverter said.

It is the responsibility of the city’s directors to perform evaluations for the other 61 city employees, Hoverter said.

But the city of Sarasota isn’t the only local municipality that chooses not to have performance evaluations done for its directors.

Former Longboat Key Town Manager Bruce St. Denis did not sign off on numerous evaluations placed on his desk by Longboat Key Human Resources Manager Lisa Silvertooth.

Silvertooth said she has several evaluations filed away that are technically not complete because they were never signed by the town manager.

Silvertooth, a longtime private company human resources manager, said she was shocked, upon being hired by the town, to learn about its approach to performance evaluations.

“I realize that employees aren’t receiving pay increases at this time, and the argument is, ‘What’s the point?’” Silvertooth said. “But, I believe it’s important to administer annual evaluations so employees receive input and goals are set for the coming year.”

Silvertooth noted that Longboat Key Town Manager David Bullock is much more receptive to Silvertooth’s requests to have updated evaluations for all employees, including directors.

Although the town of Longboat Key joins the city in its lack of accountability, Sarasota County conducts annual evaluations despite the fact that employees have not seen pay increases in years.

Sarasota County Human Resources Manager Joannie Whitley said her department is up to date on all of its performance evaluations and all 11 directors receive evaluations at the request of County Administrator Randall Reid and the county’s former administrator.

“Performance evaluations are done for directors every December, despite the fact they haven’t received raises for five years and counting,” Whitley said. “It’s always been our practice to perform evaluations.”
Whitley said she believes performance evaluations are important.

“It’s the one opportunity we have to let employees know how they are doing in their job,” Whitley said. “It’s important to document evaluations and set goals for your employees.”